I’ve been blogging since August of 2008. I’m pretty sure blogging is like dog years, so that would make me unable to hide from my middle-aged years even on my best day.
For the longest time I’ve blogged more or less as a hobby. It was the starting point for writing and was a joy way back in the dark ages of dial-up modems. Sure, things were slower, but blogging was alot easier. There wasn’t all this talk about doing things right or better. We just wrote. Women actually took the time and commented on blog posts back then. I still keep in contact with a dozen women I met while blogging just for bloggings sake.
When I began to speak and publish books I listened to all the buzz about branding and sticking to a few specific topics. I tried harder to keep to family & faith on my site and not much more than that. Everyone must be right…right? Instead something else happened.
I lost my love of blogging.
I’ve decided to rekindle the romance. It’s time to fan the flames.
I love Jesus and I love my family. Those two things will never ever change. But, I love home and hospitality, too. It’s why I am the girl who has the potlucks and the barbecues and invites friends to coffee or to listen to live music. Those parts of me have been neglected here for far too long. This week I picked this incredible basket full of basil and dried some myself. The rest I’ll be sharing in a blog post about homemade pesto next week! Which leads me to my real news…or maybe your warning.
Bloglovin & Feedly & My “Family Room” Newsletter
If you know me you know I LOVE having people over and cooking and baking. I’m a former California girl which gives me a splash of healthy living I can’t get away from. Coconut milk is ALWAYS present in my fridge. I’ve been known to repaint furniture and this year I even used a sewing machine for the first time! Wait until you see my cafe curtains. I’m sure they’re way cuter than anything you’ve seen on Pinterest and they were cheap to make, too.
Seeing home as sacred space motivates us to invest our time and energy there. –Kathy Coffee, God Knows Parenting is a Wild Ride
There will be food posts and Fall baking recipes shared, DIY posts and posts about southern hospitality over here. I’m inviting visitors to stop by to share about alot of things including family and Jesus. (Those TWO things I’ll never stop loving, remember?)
Since I’m alot wiser in my middle-age blog years, I know one of my passions is connecting with YOU and connecting YOU with EACH OTHER. For the next eight weeks I’ll be sending a weekly Saturday morning newsletter with a roundup of randomly cool things! After that we’ll move to a BI-Monthly-ish newsletter.
Why a newsletter? Because it’s like having you sit with me in my family room with your nonfat vanilla latte. A newsletter allows me to be even more relaxed — it’s the perfect place to introduce you to one another and my passion for home.
If you open my newsletter on Saturday and wonder if I’ve lost my mind, I haven’t. I’m just falling in love with blogging again.
I love your heart for connection and hospitality friend. Having been on the receiving end, I know it’s the real deal. I love this focus! I’m in!
Jess, I’m so glad you’re my friend.